KnowYard Community

Bought last year at 6.8%. Monthly payment is more than my old rent but I'm not throwing money away anymore. You can always refinance when rates drop. You can't un-rent money you already spent.

It's not theater. Something like 60-70% of people who protest get a reduction. The appraisal district overshoots on purpose because they know most people won't protest. Don't be most people.

My barber recommended a BBQ spot that's been open since 1991. Went there. No signage. Just a smoker and some picnic tables. Best ribs I've had in this state.

Check your city and county job boards directly. Government jobs don't always post on Indeed. The benefits package is usually better than private sector even if the pay is slightly lower.

File for unemployment the same day. Texas unemployment isn't much ($563/week max) but it buys time. Don't wait. The processing takes 2-3 weeks.

Skip the job boards for the first week. Reach out directly to everyone you know. LinkedIn connections, former coworkers, friends of friends. 70% of jobs are filled through networking and that's not a cliché.

Utility companies are almost always hiring and pay decent with good benefits. Check your local electric co-op or water district. $22-28/hr starting for field positions and you don't need a degree.

Document every maintenance request in writing (email, not just the portal). If they haven't fixed stuff you reported, that's leverage for negotiation or for your city's tenant complaint process.

I use a pellet grill and I'm tired of pretending I'm sorry about it. The brisket is good. My family loves it. I don't care about your offset smoker opinions.

Raising Cane's sweet tea doesn't get enough credit. It's dangerously good.

The "but you get summers off" crowd has clearly never met a teacher. My wife spends summer doing curriculum planning, professional development, and setting up her classroom. It's unpaid work.

Texas has basically zero rent control and no statewide cap on increases. Your only leverage is threatening to leave. And honestly? Sometimes you have to follow through.

Any southern home cooking restaurant. The ones with the big plastic pitchers on the table. That's where the real sweet tea lives.

This is why I specifically bought a house with no HOA even though it meant a longer commute. My trash can sits wherever I want and nobody sends me letters about it.

Moved to a different complex and saved $200/month even after moving costs. Sometimes leaving is cheaper long term. Do the math on 12 months not just the moving cost.

I used one of those companies that does it for you — they take 25-30% of savings. Got my value knocked down $40K. Worth it because I hate doing paperwork.

The "market rate" excuse is infuriating when the unit is in worse condition than when you moved in. Market rate for WHAT exactly.

Same thing happened to me in January. 3 years, great reviews, gone in a 10 minute call. The market is rough but not dead. Took me 11 weeks to find something. Apply everywhere, even stuff you think you're overqualified for.

Counterpoint: standards are what make Texas BBQ great. If we stop caring about quality we end up like every other state's mid BBQ. Gatekeeping has a purpose.

Whatever you pick, the yard sign and window stickers matter almost as much as the actual system. Most burglars are opportunistic and will skip a house with visible security signs.

McDonald's sweet tea for $1 is the best value in fast food beverages and I will die on this hill. They put an absurd amount of sugar in it.

I negotiated mine down $150 by showing them comparable units on Zillow that were cheaper. They'd rather keep a paying tenant than turn the unit. It's worth trying.

The unequal appraisal argument is your best weapon. If your neighbor's identical house is appraised at $50K less than yours, that's hard for them to justify. Use their own data against them.

I fought a similar violation. Sent a written response requesting the specific bylaw and photos of other houses in violation. They dropped it. They count on people just complying without question.

$200/month HOA and they can't even maintain the common areas? Request a financial audit. You're entitled to see where that money goes.